Cylinder and piston type coal breaker



April 7, 1953 J, F, Joy

I CYLINDER AND PISTON TYPE COAL. B REAKER NN l N` Wm, M v MN.; ww hw 4 w M m m l a m wx@ ww m N w m\ M `Nf ,71 w u v m11 m NSN@ Q Q Patented Apr. 7, 1953 y anni CYLINDER AND PISTON TYPE COAL BREAKER Joseph F. Joy, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 4, 1946, Serial No. 694,780

5 Claims.

This invention relates to material dislodging mechanism, and more particularly to a combined drilling and breaking down mechanism especially designed for use in dislodging coal in an underground coal mine without the use of explosives.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved material dislodging mechanism. Another object is to provide an improved fluid operated breaker mechanism insertable in a bore hole in a 4coal face for breaking down the coal without the use of explosives. A further object is to provide an improved combined coal drilling and breaking down mechanism for dislodging coal from a coal seam. A still further object is to provide an improved combined drilling and breaking down mechanism whereby the coal may be drilled, and thereafter, without removing the drill from the bore hole, a powerful breaking down pressure may be imparted to the 'coal to dislodge the coal. A still further object is to pro vide an improved drilling and breaking down mechanism embodying a rotary drill and an expansible breaker device encircling the drill element rearwardly of the drill headY and having improved conveying means associated with the drill head for conveying the cuttings created by the drill head rearwardly through the breaker device and along the drill'rotating element to discharge at a point outside of the coal face. Still another object is to provide an improved fluid operated breaker mechanism consisting of a plurality of breaker sections secured together to provide a unitary structure. A still further object is to provide an improved hydraulically operated coal breaker device of the cylinder and piston type. Yet another object is to provide a hydraulically operated coal breaker of the cylinder and piston type comprising a plurality of alined icylinder block sections rigidly secured together to provide a unitary structure, and each block section having a series of radially located bores containing reciprocable breaker pistons. A iurther object is to provide an improved coal drilling andbreaking down mechanism having associated therewith improved conveying means. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown for `purposes of illustration one form which the y 2 p cordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional View taken substantially von line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

V Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic elevational view showing the drilling and breaking down mechanism in operative coal breaking position in a coal seam.

In this illustrative embodiment of the invention there is shown a combined drilling and breaking down mechanism especially designed for use in dislodging coal in underground coal mines and consisting generally of a, rotary drill head l, an eXp-ansible breaker device 2 and a conveying means 3; the drill head, breaker device and conveying means arranged and constructed in a novel manner. The apparatus for supporting and driving the drilling and breaking down mechanism may be generally similar to that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 694,779, led of even date herewith, now matured into Patent No. 2,581,667, granted January 8, 1952.

The improved drilling and breaking down mechanism specifically comprises a drill rotating shaft 4 suitably driven by a motor (not shown) and enclosed in a cylindrical tube or tubular housing 5 which is suitably fixed against rotation. The tubular housing comprises a rear tube section t and an alined front tube section l, the latter having a collar 8 integrally secured thereto and threadedly secured at 9 to the front end of the rear tube section. Attached to the front end of the shaftbd is a rotary drill bit lll having' cutting teeth Il and of a size to form a bore hole of a diameter suhcient to receive the breaker device 2. Fixed to the shaft 4 is a spiral conveyor i2 which runs in the tubular housing 5 and has its forward end terminating rearwardly of the drill head in close adj acency to the drill bit, as shown in Fig. l. Threadedly attached at i3 to the iront end of the front tube section 'l of the tubular housing is a bell-mouthed member I4 for directing the cuttings created by the drill bit during drilling toward the front receiving end of the spiral conveyor. The drill bit l0 is arranged with its rearward portion within the bell-mouth of the member It, in the manner shown, so that the cuttings effectively enter the forward end of the tubular housing. The bell-mouthed memberV i4 is of slightly smaller diameter than the drill bit so that it may enter the bore hole formed by the drill bit, and is of slightly greater diameter than the breaker device 2 so that the passage of cuttings rearwardly past the bell-mouthed member is substantially prevented, thereby reducing the possibility cf the breaker device becoming bound within the bore hole. The spiral conveyor l2 conveys the cuttings rearwardly within the tubular housing and centrally through Athe breaker device 2 to a suitable point of discharge remote from the coal face.

rIhe eXpansible breaker device has an elongated body l5 of generally cylindrical shape, vand surrounds the tubular housing 5 rearwardly of .the drill head and is so arranged and constructed that it may enter the borehole as drilling progresses. The breaker device comprises a circular front plate I6 xed to the tubular housing 5 and abutting the member ill; and arranged betr/veen the front plate i6 and the rear collar 3 ina series of identical cylinder block sections il of cylindrical shape, and a circular rear end section i8 is arranged between the rear block section il' and the collar 8, as shown in Fig. l. The cylinder block sections, the section i8, the front plate id and the rear collar 3 are rigidly secured in assembled relation by longitudinal tie-bolts or 4ro-:ls i9. Each cylinder block section il has -a series of closely spaced, radially located bores 2G Yez;- tending completely about the periphery of the section and containing reciprocable double-acting breaker pistons 2i. The Vpistons each have an enlarged piston head 22 tting the bore and provided with a piston ring 23 `tightly engaging the walls of its bore, and projecting outwardly trom the piston head is a reduced cylindric portion having a curved outer abutting surface 25 engageable with the walls of the bore hole formed by the drill. The reduced portion of each piston extends outwardly through an outer packed head 2b threadedly secured to the cylinder block, and the piston surfaces 25 when the pistons are retracted lie substantially ush with the cylindrical exterior periphery .of the cylindrical body it. The cylinder block sections l'l, the front plate i5 and the rear collar 8 are formed with aligned circular bores in which the front tube section l olf the tubular housing is arranged, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Fluid under pressure may be supplied to the cylinder bores 2Q from a suitable pump under the control of a suitable valve mechanism, in the manner fully described in the application above referred to, and leading from the valve mechanism are flexible conduits 2l and 2&3 attached by suitable couplings 29 to the rear collar S, as shown in Fig. 3. The conduit 2i supplies fluid to the radial bores of the 'breaker device to move the breaker pistons outwardly Ato expand the breaker device to effect dislodgment of the coal; while conduit 2B supplies iiuid to the breaker device bores to retract the breaker pistons. The rear block section i8 .of the breaker body has formed therein concentric annular recesses 3S and 3i, and the conduits 2l and 28 are respectively connected to these recesses through passages 32 and 33 in the plate s. Fitted in alined Vbores 3i in adjacent vblock sections are tubes or sleeves 35 carrying packings Se sealingly engaging the walls of the bores 3d to prevent fluid leakage. A passage Sl in the rear block section l 3 and passages 33 in the cylinder block sections il connect the bores of the tubes Y35 into communication, thereby to provide a passageway extending substantially the full length or" the breaker device. The passages 38 cut through the walls of the cylinder `ferred to.

bores 252 at their inner ends, as shown in Fig. 2. Similar packed tubes or sleeves 39 have nuidtight fits in alined bores 60 in the cylinder block sections, and a passage di communicating with the recess 3l and passages 62 in the cylinder block sections connect the tube bores in communication, thereby to provide a passageway extending substantially the full length of the breaker device in parallelism with the passageway above re- The passages 42 communicate wi i the bores 2@ at their outer ends at the outer sides of the piston heads. The short tubes 35 and ltted in the bores in the adjacent block sections facilitate assembly and dismantling of the breaker device, while providing tight ljoints to prevent leakage 4at high pressures. It will be evident that the number of cylinder block sections may be lvaried to suit diierent conditions, and that the arrangement of the passageways ici' conducting expanding fluid to the piston-containing bores may be readily modified.

rllhe general mode of operationof the Aimproi-.fed material dislodging mechanism will ne clearly apparent from the description given. It will be understood that prior to the drilling and dislodging operations the coal face of the coal seam is undercut at i3 (as shown in Fig. 5) in a well known manner by a conventional coal cutting machine. The drilling and breaking down mechanism is -suitably supported with respect to the coal face, and the drill rotating shaft d is rapidly rotated by the motor to effect rotation ci the drill bit lil in the manner fully described in the above mentioned application. As the drill bit is rapidly rotated, itis advanced in a suitable manner toward the coal face `to form a bore hole ill at the desired location in the coal, and as drilling progresses the expansible `breaker device 2 enters the bore hole. Upon completion or" the bore hole the breaker device 2 assumes the position shown in Fig. 5, and, while the drill remains in the bore hole, fluid under pressure may be admitted through conduit `9.7i .to the annular recess 3s and through `passages 3l and 3S .and the bores of the tubes 35 to the inner ends `of the piston-containing bores 2@ at the ,inner sides of the piston heads to effect outward movement .of the breaker pistons 2 i., thereby to ,expand the breaker device to apply a powerful breaking down pressure to the coal to dislodge the coal. When the coal is dislodged and the ,drilling and breaking down operations are completed, the conduit 2l may be connected to discharge, and fluid under pressure may be conducted through the conduit 2S to the annular chamber .Si and through the passages lli and d2 and the bores of the tubes 39 to the outer ends of the piston-containing bores 2@ to retract the breaker pistons, and thereafter the drilling and `breaking down mechanism may be retracted in a suitable man-ner from the work. The drilling and breaking down mechanism may be elevated and tilted vertically (as indicated in dot-ted lines in Fig. 5) and may be swung laterally so as to enable drilling .of the coal face at any desired location, as fully disclosed in the above nientioned application.

As a result of this invention an improved material dislodging mechanism is provided for drilling and breaking down the material to be dislodged without the use of explosives. By the provision oi the breaker device associated with the drill head so that the breaker device enters the bore hole formed by the drill head as drilling progresses, it is possible to dislodge the material E. 'XN l v wl` le the drill head remains in the bore hole,

t .ereby substantially reducing the time consumed in the drilling and breaking down operations. By arranging the series of radially located breaker pistons completely about the periphery of the breaker cylinder it is possible to apply a powerful dislodging force to the material. The sectional cylinder block structure not only enables flexibility in the length of the breaker device but also simplifies manufacture. By arranging the vconveyor centrally within the breaker device, the cuttings created by the drill head are effectively removed from the bore hole in advance of the breaker device so that binding of the breaker device within the ybore hole is substantially prevented. These and other uses and advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specically described one form which the invention may assLune in practice, it will be understood that the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An expansible coal breaker device insertible in a bore-hole formed in the material to be dis lodged and comprising an elongated cylindrical body composed of a series of separate ring-like cylinder block sections, means for rigidly secur ing said block sections together in axial alinement, said block sections each having a series of radial bores opening through the periphery thereof at circumferentially spaced points completely about the periphery of each section, fluid actuated breaker pistons reciprocable in said radial bores and havingcurved outer surfaces engageable with the walls of' the hole, sai-d piston surfaces when said pistons are retracted in said bores lying substantially flush with the cylin- Y drical exterior periphery of said cylindrical body,

pressure from said conduit to said bores to effectra-dial movement of said pistons outwardly with respect to the exterior periphery of said body into engagements/ith the hole walls to apply breaking pressures to the material surrounding the hole thereby to dislodge the material.

2. A coal breaker device as set forth in claim l wherein said pistons each have opposed pressure areas and said fluid conduit and said passages supply fluid under pressure to one pressure area of each piston to move said pistons in one direction, and said fluid conducting means also includes a fluid conduit adapted to extend into the bore-hole and alined passages in said block sections for conducting fluid under pressure to the opposed area of each piston to move said pistons in the opposite direction, said conduits being con* nectible either to fluid supply or to exhaust whereby when a pressure area of each piston is connected to the iiuid supply the opposed area is connected to exhaust.

3. An expansible breaker device insertible in a bore-hole formed in the material to be dis lodged, comprising an elongated cylindrical body having an opening extending axially therethrough, a support extending within said opening for supporting said body and to which said body is fixed, said body having series of radial bores spaced along the length thereof and opening through the exterior periphery of said body at circumferentially spaced points completely about the periphery of Vsaid body, reciprocable fluid actuated pistons contained in said bores and having curved outer surfaces engageable with th-e walls of the hole and said pistons when retracted in said bores having their outer surfaces lying substantially flush with the exterior periphery of said body, and means including a conduit adapted to extend into the bore-hole and passage means in said body for supplying pressure fiuid to said bores to project said pistons radially outwardly beyond the exterior periphery of said body into engagement with the Walls of the borehole to apply breaking pressures to the material surrounding the hole thereby to dislodge the material.

4. In a material breaking mechanism insertible in a bore-hole formed in the material to be dislodged, `the combination comprising an elongated cylindrical body composed of a plurality of alined cylinder blocks of annular shape rigidly secured together in axial alinement to provide an open center extending longitudinally through the body, a support extending within the open center of said body for supporting the latter and to which said blocks are rigidly secured, each block having a series of radial bores opening through the exterior periphery thereof at circumferentially spaced points completely about the periphery of said body and reciprocable breaker pistons contained in said bores and having curved outer surfaces engageable with the walls of the hole,

said piston surfaces when said pistons are retracted in said bores lying substantially iiush with the exterior periphery of said cylindrical body, and means including ay supply conduitV adapted to extend into the bore-hole and passage means in said block sections for conducting pressure fluid to said bores to project said pistons radially outwardly beyond the outer peripheries of said blocks into engagement with the hole walls to apply breaking pressures to the material surrounding the hole thereby to dislodge the material. Y

5. An expansible coal breaker insertible in a lbore-hole formed in a coal seam comprising an elongated cylindrical body of smaller diameter than the diameter of the bore-hole and composed of a series of separate cylinder block sections, each block section having a series of radial bores opening through the exterior periphery of said body at circumferentially spaced points completely about the periphery thereof, fluid actuated breaker pistons reciprocable in said bores and having curved outer surfaces engageable with the walls of the hole and said surfaces when said pistons are retracted in said bores lying substantially flush with the cylindrical exterior periphery of said body, said pistons movable outwardly in said bores into positions wher-ein the outer ends of said pistons project outwardly beyond the outer periphery of each lblock section into contact with the bore-hole walls, means for supporting said block sections and for rigidly maintaining the same in axial alinement with said sections in end abutting relation, and means including a supply vconduit adapted to extend into the bore-hole and registering passages in said block sections for conducting fluid under pressure to said bores to effect outward movement of said pistons into engagement with the walls of the bore-hole to apply breaking pres- 7 sures to the coal surrounding the hole thereby to Number dislodge the coal. 1,630,470 JOSEPH F'. JOY. 2,148,495 2,215,069 REFERENCES CITED 5 2,306,572 The following references are of record in the 2,321,146I le of this patent: ,g

UNITED `STATES PATENTS Number Name Date j 0 1,191,992 Peters July 25, 1916 Number 1,273,869 Joy July 30, 1913 504,776 1,519,147 Levin Dec. 16, 1924 `567,627

8 V Name Date v'Clifford -..u May 31, 1127 Osgood Feb. 28, 1 9 Mesel 1 Sept. 17, 1940 Smely Dec. 29, 1942 Jones June 8, 1943 Stoltz Mar. 14, 1944 Hair Aug. 12, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Apr. 22, 1920 Germany Jan. 7, 1933 

